The Community of Madrid has already reached 671 million euros invested in the extension of line 11 of the metro for the section currently underway, which will connect the Plaza Elíptica and Conde de Casal stations, where are also underway … a transport interchange.
Meeting this week, the Government Council authorized the call for tenders for new contracts for the development of this infrastructure, with an investment of 7.4 million for works management and coordination of installations, to which are added the 22.4 million recently approved for signaling.
To this budget are added the 123 million allocated for the installation of 29 elevators, 60 escalators, a fire protection system, catenaries and other complementary actions which require independent planning of civil engineering works.
The largest volume, however, corresponds to the 518 million dedicated to the construction of the more than 6.6 kilometers that separate Plaza Elíptica and Conde de Casal and to the five planned stations, including two newly created (Comillas and Madrid Río), which already reach 60% and 58% completion respectively.
With this new mobility axis, the regional government seeks to configure an alternative that will avoid forced passage through the central areas of the capital and improve the connection of neighborhoods and new urban developments in a more direct way and with fewer transfers, reports Servimedia.
In addition, this will reduce travel time and decongest other lines such as the Circular, which is the busiest in the entire network, especially between Plaza Elíptica and Avenida de América. The completion of this section is scheduled for 2027 and will be the first of a larger project that provides 33 km and 20 stations to connect Cuatro Vientos to Valdebebas.
Mayrit tunnel boring machine
The recent arrival of the Mayrit tunnel boring machine in the Community of Madrid, more precisely in the future Comillas station, where it is being assembled, represents an important step for the execution of this work. When he joins the work in March 2026, he will accelerate the construction of the tunnel by advancing at a rate of 15 meters per day, compared to 50 per month with the traditional pick and shovel method.
Its transfer from the German town of Schwanau, where it was manufactured, required careful logistical planning, both due to its dimensions and the 2,000 kilometers traveled to reach its destination. You will work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, working in continuous shifts to maximize speed. It will only stop to replace worn parts every 1,000 meters or so.
Mayrit will work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, working in continuous shifts to maximize speed.
The centerpiece of this mega machine is the cutting wheel, a toothed structure that will direct the tunnel boring machine, type EPB (‘Earth Preasure Balance’), and which was built specifically for the characteristics of the terrain in Madrid. This is the reason why no two identical wheels can be found anywhere in the world.
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